Unplugged oil and gas wells present both environmental and financial risks and so plugging and abandoning (P&Aing) them is of growing importance. Agerton et al. estimate that the cost to P&A all 14,000 unplugged, non-producing oil and gas wells in the US Gulf of Mexico offshore waters, inland waters and wetlands is US$30 billion.

See Agerton et al.

Windows are one of the least energy-efficient parts of buildings because of the trade-off between transparency and thermal insulation. Abraham et al. develop a transparent cellulose-based aerogel that can be inserted inside multi-pane glazings or retrofit existing ones to reduce heat loss through the window.

See Abraham et al. and Research Briefing

Lithium penetrating electrolytes is a common cause of short-circuiting in batteries but its mechanism is elusive. This study conducts scanning electron microscopy experiments where tungsten microprobes are brought into contact with the solid electrolyte surface revealing that nanoscale cracks can initiate the lithium propagation inside the electrolyte.

See McConohy et al. and Research Briefing

Oxygen redox in battery cathodes is often accompanied by oxygen loss from the oxide lattice, leading to severe cathode degradation. Cai et al. reconstruct the oxide surface to suppress the release of oxygen (pink spheres) without affecting the transport across the cathode of lithium ions (green spheres).

See Cai et al.

Despite their potential for reducing domestic electricity bills, solar panels are not typically considered an option for low-income households. This study reports the lived experiences and changing practices over ten months of seven social-housing tenants who were given solar panels and navigated how to become solar-power prosumers.

See Fox and News & Views by Middlemiss